The year is 2032, 16 years after a deadly virus wiped out most of the earth's population. The night before 18-year-old Eve's graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

MY REVIEW:I really enjoyed the start of this YA dystopian series!

The story takes place in the future, after a plague has wiped out 98% of the world’s population. Strangely, the ones that died were the ones that were given the vaccine. The main character, Eve, is 18 years old and lives at a girls-only School that is surrounded by a wall. She, along with nearly all the other girls, came to School at the age of five and are orphans and have never been outside the wall. The girls are raised to believe that boys are dangerous, devious, and not to be trusted. The only exception is the King, who must be obeyed.

Eve is one of the best and brightest students and, after graduation, the girls are told that they will go to a building across the lake to learn a trade for four years. After that, they will move to the City of Sand to work and live under the King’s rule.

Arden is a rebellious girl, whose history is a little bit different from everyone else’s. She came to School at the age of eight, and she will one day join her parents who are getting themselves established in the City of Sand. One night, Eve follows Arden and witnesses her escape. She says some things to Eve that she doesn’t believe, so Eve decides to find out for herself if Arden is telling the truth. What she discovers is shocking, and Eve also escapes with the help of one of the teachers. In the wild, Eve doesn’t know who to trust and the King’s men are after her and will not stop until she has been captured.

Eve is great character with a lot of strength. Here is someone who has lived her entire life in seclusion, her every need taken care of, and protected within the confines of School. Now, she is living outside the wall and has to fend for herself. Obviously, she is a little naïve but she’s forced to adapt to her new surroundings. Her entire world has been turned upside-down, and she can’t trust what she’s been told about things! She manages to catch up with Arden, and I liked how their relationship grew and changed. She also has to follow her gut instincts with those that she meets in the wild, and sometimes that means putting her faith and trust into <gasp> boys! I liked the blossoming friendship that Eve had with Caleb, who is very sweet and completely selfless. I hope that we see more of Caleb in the second book in the trilogy, Once.

MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy dystopia!